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Jul 13 2011

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Etisalat implements UAE's first futuristic e-Health solution for Cardiology in partnership with GE Healthcare

The solution, implemented at the RAK Hospital as a pilot project, enables Remote ECG (Electrocardiograms) Monitoring, allowing cardiologists to use Etisalat 's state-of-the-art technology and GE 's MUSE ECG data management system, to electronically receive and analyse ECG's on their computers and Smartphones.

Measuring the ECG is an important diagnostic tool for monitoring and preventing Cardio Vasular Diseases. This solution makes it possible for Cardiologists to read, review and analyse ECGs, from the comfort of their hospital or home, anytime on a 24x7 basis. Besides providing Electronic Patient Record storage and management, through Etisalat Data Centers, the solution also enables serial ECG comparison, by analyzing previous ECGs of the patient to the current one, thereby keeping a progressive track of the cardiac health status of the patient.

Commenting on the innovative pilot project, Mr. Raza Siddiqui, Executive Director at RAK Hospital said: "RAK Hospital, has positioned itself as a pioneer in several areas of Healthcare Management and Delivery, and as part of this agenda, we have taken up this challenging task and joined a team of industry leaders in healthcare and telecommunications. Our joint aim is to bring to the people of the region access to world class, life saving cardiac care, and more specifically, cardiac interventions. Heart disease is one of the top killers globally and the UAE is no exception, so our method of remote ECG Screening, backed up with the possibility of immediate treatment for high risk cases will, give a new lease of life to several patients who have as yet not had access to such care. We thank GE and Etisalat for participating in this pioneering initiative in the field of Healthcare delivery, which will certainly save many lives in the region."

Commenting on the solution Paul Taylor, Executive Vice President, Business at Etisalat said: "With the increasing need to limit the risks of cardiovascular diseases [CVD] in UAE, , it is necessary for health care providers to deploy innovative and enabling technologies to tackle these medical challenges for the welfare of the community whilst at the same time optimizing cost efficiencies. Etisalat has joined hands with GE Healthcare and RAK Hospital to provide UAE's first remote ECG monitoring solution that leverages the strengths of these organizations in their respective areas of expertise - telecommunications, healthcare innovation and healthcare delivery. This innovative pilot solution deployed at RAK hospital ,is an excellent example of Etisalat 's vision and the active role a telecom leader can play in improving the quality of healthcare through Real Time, Collaborative, Clinical Information sharing."

"Being cloud based, the strength of this solution lies in its ubiquity and cost-effectiveness. Remote hospitals and clinics in the UAE can deploy this service at a fraction of a cost, and benefit from expert cardiology advice from bigger hospitals such as RAK hospital, enabling effective and timely patient care," added Mr. Taylor.

Etisalat has deployed GE 's MUSE Cardiology Information system on a SaaS (Software as a service) business model to provide accurate cardiac assessments to hospitals and clinics, without requiring them to invest in expensive hardware and software. Such a solution would be extremely beneficial for remote hospitals and clinics that have limited or no availability of cardiologists, and who could liaise with renowned hospitals such as RAK hospital to send ECG data feeds to cardiologists and take timely expert advice for their patients.

"The successful implementation of the UAE's first e-Health solution for Cardiology underlines the thought leadership of GE Healthcare in driving diagnostic technologies by leveraging the advances in modern technology. One of the central pillars of GE 's approach to healthcare is a focus on an earlier model of care that helps address the region's growing healthcare bills, led especially by cardiovascular diseases. The e-Health solution also highlights the roll-out of our healthymagination commitment to enhance access to quality care at lower costs for a wider population. By drawing on the reliability of Etisalat 's advanced network, we are facilitating the delivery of high quality of care and diagnostic expertise to a wider geography in the UAE," said Mazen Dalati, Regional Executive Manager, GE Healthcare.

The other potential benefit of this innovative solution lies in the critical insights it could provide to the Government's health departments regarding cardiology data relating to residents across the UAE. The departments could track cardiology data, analyse the state of healthcare and build profiles to create an ongoing information base to monitor and improve cardiology standards.

-Ends-

Press release issued by Corporate Communication Department - Etisalat
Asad Salem
A/Senior Manager Media Relations - Etisalat
Tel: 02 6184158
www.etisalat.ae

© Press Release 2011